Malte Humpert

Malte Humpert is an investigative journalist for gCaptain and High North News, and Senior Fellow at The Arctic Institute, which he founded in 2011. Based in Tahoe City, California, his research focuses on Arctic geopolitics, Northern Sea Route shipping, and China's interests in the polar region. He was the first journalist to report on Maersk's historic 2018 container ship voyage through the Arctic. His analysis has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and The Economist. Malte holds a Master's degree in European Studies from Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.


Monday, January 12, 2026
Russia’s Arctic LNG ‘Shadow Fleet’ Gains Steam With Rare Winter Double Ship-to-Ship Transfer
Energy

Russia’s Arctic LNG ‘Shadow Fleet’ Gains Steam With Rare Winter Double Ship-to-Ship Transfer

Russia’s Arctic shadow fleet logistics chain shows momentum with a rare, simultaneous ship-to-ship (STS) loading and unloading operation at the Saam floating

January 12, 2026
Total Views: 5292

Friday, January 9, 2026
U.S. forces approach the MT Olina via helicopter
News

U.S. Seizes Fifth Tanker ‘Olina’ in Caribbean, Intensifying Crackdown on Sanction-Evasion Oil Fleet 

U.S. authorities boarded and seized the oil tanker Olina in Caribbean waters on Friday, marking the fifth such interception in recent weeks as Washington

January 9, 2026
Total Views: 5198

Wednesday, January 7, 2026
US pursuing third oil tanker near Venezuela, officials say
Incidents

Oil Tanker ‘Marinera’ Enters Arctic Waters As USCG Pursues, Russia Sends Submarine Escort 

The oil tanker formerly known as Bella 1, now sailing as the Marinera under a Russian flag, has pushed into the North Atlantic and above 60° N, a latitude

January 7, 2026
Total Views: 2317

Tuesday, January 6, 2026
LNG carrier Alexey Kosygin sea trials
Energy

Russia’s New Arc7 LNG Carrier ‘Alexey Kosygin’ Steams North Toward Arctic LNG 2

The newly delivered Arc7 ice-class liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier Alexey Kosygin has departed the Russian Far East on its maiden voyage and is heading

January 6, 2026
Total Views: 979

Monday, January 5, 2026
Second Shadow Tanker Off Venezuela Reflags to Russia, Testing U.S. Seizure Policy
Featured

Second Shadow Tanker Off Venezuela Reflags to Russia, Testing U.S. Seizure Policy

The oil tanker Hyperion has reflagged to the Russian registry in what analysts say is a calculated move to shield the vessel from potential U.S. seizure,

January 5, 2026
Total Views: 27297

Monday, December 29, 2025
LNG in Arctic
Shipping

Arctic Shipping Lane Sees Surge in ‘Shadow Fleet’ Traffic, Totaling 100 Sanctioned Vessels

Russia’s Arctic shipping lanes have become a corridor for the global shadow fleet of sanctioned oil and LNG tankers, raising safety, environmental, and

December 29, 2025
Total Views: 2533

Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Christophe de Margerie first cargo
Energy

Ice-class LNG Tanker Lifts First Winter Cargo From Russia’s Sanctioned Arctic LNG 2

An Arc7 ice-class liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier has completed the first-ever winter pickup of LNG from Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 plant, a milestone for the

December 23, 2025
Total Views: 7484

Monday, December 22, 2025
Sanctioned Tanker Links Russia’s Arctic Oil Trade to Venezuela for First Time
Energy

Sanctioned Tanker Links Russia’s Arctic Oil Trade to Venezuela for First Time

A sanctioned oil tanker has for the first time established a direct geographic link between Russia’s Arctic “shadow fleet” and oil product exports to

December 22, 2025
Total Views: 11970

Thursday, December 18, 2025
Chinese container ship NewNew Polar Bear in a convoy on the Northern Sea Route during an eastbound voyage in October 2023. (Source: Rosatomflot)
Shipping

China Expands Arctic Container Shipping With Record 14 Voyages in 2025

China significantly expanded its use of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in 2025, completing 14 container ship voyages between Asia and Europe, up from 11 such

December 18, 2025
Total Views: 1251

Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Russia Deploys All Eight Nuclear Icebreakers for First Time to Keep Arctic Export Routes Open
Featured

Russia Deploys All Eight Nuclear Icebreakers for First Time to Keep Arctic Export Routes Open

Russia has, for the first time, deployed its entire fleet of eight nuclear-powered icebreakers simultaneously to maintain winter shipping lanes in the Gulf of

December 16, 2025
Total Views: 559585

Monday, December 15, 2025
Cargo Ship ‘Thamesborg’ Arrives at Turkey Shipyard For Repairs After Arctic Grounding
Incidents

Cargo Ship ‘Thamesborg’ Arrives at Turkey Shipyard For Repairs After Arctic Grounding

The Dutch-flagged cargo ship Thamesborg has arrived at a Turkish shipyard to undergo repairs following a high-profile grounding in the Northwest Passage

December 15, 2025
Total Views: 2668

Wednesday, December 10, 2025
USCGC Calhoun aerial
Defense

US Coast Guard Seeks Commercial Vessels to Boost Fleet Under New Industry Partnership

In an unprecedented appeal to the private shipping sector, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) asking commercial-vessel

December 10, 2025
Total Views: 7437

Monday, December 8, 2025
An LNG tanker at a port in Yantai, China
Energy

Russia’s Gazprom Ships Sanctioned LNG to China Signaling Deepening Energy Ties

LNG carrier Valera has arrived at PipeChina’s Beihai Terminal carrying a load of sanctioned liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Gazprom’s Portovaya LNG plant.

December 8, 2025
Total Views: 711

‘Dark Fleet’ LNG Carrier Forced to Turn Back as Early Winter Ice Blocks Access to Arctic LNG 2
Shipping

‘Dark Fleet’ LNG Carrier Forced to Turn Back as Early Winter Ice Blocks Access to Arctic LNG 2

In recent days Russia’s medium ice-class LNG carrier Buran has failed repeatedly to reach the Arctic LNG 2 terminal in Ob Bay as thick, early-season ice has

December 8, 2025
Total Views: 13745

Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Panama-flagged oil tanker Mersin transits Bosphorus in Istanbul
Incidents

Tanker Blast Off Senegal Puts a Dark-Fleet Operator Back in the Hot Seat

Several tankers operated by Turkey’s Be?ikta? Likid, the operator of the Mersin, were sanctioned by Ukraine in the past for their involvement in ship-to-ship

December 2, 2025
Total Views: 3873

Monday, December 1, 2025
DHS Warns of ‘Unprecedented’ Chinese Presence in Arctic During Summer 2025
Defense

DHS Warns of ‘Unprecedented’ Chinese Presence in Arctic During Summer 2025

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has raised concerns over a surge in Chinese military and research vessels in Arctic waters during 2025. The

December 1, 2025
Total Views: 1452

Friday, November 28, 2025
Russia Rushes to Complete Sea Trials of First Domestic Ice LNG Tanker Before Winter
Energy

Russia Rushes to Complete Sea Trials of First Domestic Ice LNG Tanker Before Winter

Russia’s first domestically constructed LNG Carrier Aleksey Kosygin is undergoing its fourth round of sea trials in the Far East as Moscow races to ready the

November 28, 2025
Total Views: 1338

US-Navy-Constellation-class-frigate-rendering
Defense

U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Keep Repeating the Same Costly Shipbuilding Mistake

The U.S. government is once again under fire for a long-standing shipbuilding habit: starting construction before designs are fully baked. The practice has

November 28, 2025
Total Views: 15731

Thursday, November 27, 2025
Second Russian Tanker Appears Off Venezuela After Seahorse’s Cat-and-Mouse With U.S. Navy
Energy

Second Russian Tanker Appears Off Venezuela After Seahorse’s Cat-and-Mouse With U.S. Navy

A second vessel tied to Russia’s shadow fleet has joined the sanctioned tanker Seahorse off the coast of Venezuela, days after the Seahorse was involved in a

November 27, 2025
Total Views: 7450

Monday, November 24, 2025
The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106) conducts a passage transit in the international waters of the Caribbean Sea, Nov. 13, 2025
Energy

After U.S. Navy Standoff, Russian Tanker Finally Reaches Venezuela

The Russian oil tanker Seahorse arrived in Venezuelan waters on November 23 AIS data show suggesting that initial reports last week of a U.S. Navy blockade

November 24, 2025
Total Views: 71482